


Coming Home

by beardnbeans



Category: Good Mythical Morning, Rhett & Link
Genre: Drug Use, GMM - Freeform, Good Mythical Morning - Freeform, Implied Drug Use, M/M, SH mention, Suicidal Ideation, rhink, ⚠️ trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:00:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25195813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beardnbeans/pseuds/beardnbeans
Summary: Link is drowning but Rhett pulls him to the surface.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin & Link Neal, Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 3
Kudos: 26





	Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovelies,
> 
> Just as a word of warning there are mentions of drug use as well as self harm, so if that is something that you find triggering, sit this one out.

Link let the phone ring once, twice, three times. He contemplated hanging up but as his finger hovered over the button, Rhett’s voice crackled out of the receiver. 

“Hey, man. What’re you doing up so late?”, he said, voice groggy and low from sleep. 

Link stared at the phone and blinked. He rubbed circles into his temple as he deadpanned.

“Link?”

The younger man swallowed hard before croaking out, “Needed to talk to you. It’s bad- I’m bad. I’m being wreckless and stupid and i don’t know how to stop and -“ 

Link heard rustling on the other end of the line. “I’m coming over. Are you at the house?” 

Link blinked. “No, I’m in a parking lot. Near the pharmacy, where stevie had her wreck.” 

“I’ll be there. Don’t leave or nothing I’ll be there.” 

The line clicked dead and Link sniffled as he dug through his car for tissues. He should’ve expected Rhett to be there for him but his willingness and eagerness always caught him off guard. 

He fumbled with a pack of cigarettes he’d bought from a nearby gas station and deeply inhaled as he brought the flame to his lips. The lights from the passing cars were blurring together as he tried to think of an excuse for his intoxication to tell Rhett. 

Headlights from Rhett’s car caught Link in the eyes as he pulled up next to him and climbed out of the car, before swinging Link’s door open and climbing in. 

Rhett took in the damage. Link was wearing an old college hoodie and sweats but the bagginess of his clothes did nothing to hide the emaciation of the boy in front of him. His cheeks were sunken in and his dark circles looked so bad under the car light Rhett thought for a moment he had two black eyes. His hands shook wildly as he brought the cigarette to his lips, and as his sweater sleeve slipped downward a thin wrapping of gauze and scotch tape could be seen peaking under the fabric. 

Rhett screwed his eyes shut before taking a deep breath and turning to face his best friend. “Why didn’t you tell me things were getting bad? I was always one call away. We could’ve talked about this Link.” 

“I just-“ Link closed his eyes and leaned back in the car seat. “We were on break with the show. And you were spending time with the kids and-“, Link lit another cigarette and inhaled. “I couldn’t get okay with being a burden on you.” 

“You’re never a burden on me. You should’ve-“. Rhett’s eyes went wide and he grabbed Link by the jaw and held his face toward the light. Link’s pupils were too big to tell his eye color. “Are you high right now?” 

Tears slipped faster down Link’s face and he nodded against Rhett’s grip. “I’m so sorry. I slipped up i wasn’t thinking I’m so-“ 

“Where is it Link?” 

The smaller man rubbed his tears with his sleeve. “In the- In the glove box.” 

Rhett flipped the glove box down and dug around until he found a baggie tucked under a glasses case. His shoulders shook with rage he hadn’t felt since starting therapy. Link watched him leave the car before slamming the door. 

For a moment he thought Rhett was leaving for good. That he was going to drive home and never speak to him again but the taller man walked to a nearby dumpster and threw the baggie in. Link watched him intently as Rhett hung his head before swiftly reeling back and punching the dumpster as hard as he could. Strings of profanity echoed through the parking lot, but Rhett dusted himself off and calmly made his way back to the car. 

He let himself back in and sat down in the seat. The younger man tried to search his face for what Rhett might be feeling, but before Link could speak Rhett pulled him into a hug so tight and warm for a moment it felt like he’d never screwed up at all. 

Still embraced Rhett mumbled, “from now on I’m gonna start checking in. I know it isn’t my fault but I shouldn’t have gone without talking to you for so long.” 

“It was only a month you-“, Link started 

“Yeah Link. It was only a month. And you’ve lost thirty pounds, you’re smoking again, you’re using again, god knows what you did to your arm. I’m not mad at you.” Rhett pulled back and pressed their foreheads together. “I’m not mad at you but you’ve gotta let me help. You have to let me in because i can’t lose you. The thought that there would be a single day of my life where I wake up and you’re not there makes me fucking sick Link. Seeing you like this damn near shatters me and I’m only holding myself together by the grace of god. I love you so much”, Rhett gently pressed a kiss onto the top of Link’s head. “I love you so much and we’re gonna get through this. It’s gonna get better. Okay?” 

Link was sobbing into Rhett’s chest as the taller man rubbed soothing circles into his back. “O-okay. I’m sorry Rhett. I don’t wanna die. I don’t wanna die but I don’t know how to live.” 

“Shh. It’s okay. We’ll figure it out together. You and me Link. That’s the way it’s always been and it’s the way we’re gonna do this.” Rhett pulled away and looked Link in the eyes. “Let’s go stay at the creative house for a week or two okay? Just you and me. I’d like that a lot I’ve missed you like crazy.” 

Link nodded fast. “I think that’s what I need. I need to reboot and rest. I need some time with you so the world doesn’t feel like it’s falling apart anymore.” 

“Let’s go then. We’ll take my car. We’ll tell the girls in the morning. Let’s pick up a pizza and we’ll go right now”. Rhett held Link’s face. “I think I‘ve been needing this too.” 

Link blew his nose into his sleeve. “Can we watch a movie?” 

Rhett tucked a strand of hair behind Link’s ear. “Yeah, bo. We can watch a movie.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was pretty much entirely a vent fic, I have been going through it as the kids say. It was really cathartic to write though so I hope you all enjoyed it.


End file.
